ESPN: The 2004 World Series MVP and Red Sox legend acknowledges that he has “always (been) a Yankees fan.”

One of the greatest Yankee villains of all time was Red Sox star Manny Ramirez. However, he would have exchanged his red and white jersey for midnight blue pinstripes if he had had the option.

Ramirez was asked a subject that the baseball community has been asking about by Jake Kosack, the founder of the “The Bronx Zoo” YouTube channel, at an in-person autograph signing event at the American Dream Mall in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

“Do you support the Yankees?” Kosack queries, using X/Twitter.

Some fans, particularly in Boston, may be surprised by the 2004 World Series MVP’s response.

“I always support the Yankees,” Ramirez responds. “I went to school in New York. That was one of my aspirations to play for the Yankees. It couldn’t happen. But I earned two World Series (rings).”

Ramirez was raised in Washington Heights, a modest area in northern Manhattan about two miles from Yankee Stadium, after being born in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.

He never had the opportunity to wear pinstripes, but he was at his best when playing in the Bronx. At Yankee Stadium, Ramirez batted.321 with a 1.010 OPS, which included 77 RBIs and 29 home runs.

He started a famous altercation with the Yankees in 2003 after right-hander Roger Clemens threw up at him. Pedro Martinez, a Hall of Famer, threw the Yankees bench coach to the ground during this incident that cleared the benches.

Ramiez assisted the Red Sox in reversing “The Curse of the Bambino” a year later. Boston eliminated the Yankees from the postseason by winning four straight games after falling behind 3-0 in the best-of-seven ALCS. After that, Ramirez defeated the St. Louis Cardinals to win MVP of the World Series.

Ramirez still holds the Yankees and their supporters in high regard.

Ramirez declared, “The Yankees fans are the best.” “Like Boston fans, they expect a lot from you because they want to win and we want to win too.”